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    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    The Best New York Cheesecake

    Written by Kathrin (Leave a Comment)

    The famous New York cheesecake is in no way inferior to its German relative: super creamy, compact, and sinfully delicious.

    New York Cheesecake

    New York cheesecake is an absolute classic from the US - for a reason! Taste and consistency of the typical American cheesecake are extraordinary. Although entirely different from the German cheesecake, but undoubtedly no less delicious.

    Jump to:
    • Taste and Occasion
    • Ingredients
    • How to make New York Cheesecake
    • Top Tip
    • Recipe Card
    • Variations
    • Nutrition
    • Reviews

    Taste and Occasion

    With my New York cheesecake recipe, you do not have to get on a plane 😉 , but you can bake the famous cake easily at home. The preparation is uncomplicated. However, you have to plan a little time. If you follow my tips, you will get a cake that neither collapses, becomes dry, nor gets unsightly craters. A super-fast crispy cookie crumb base is followed by a wonderfully compact creamy topping with subtle hints of vanilla and salt. Delightful! By the way, I don't know where the original NY cheesecake came from. But the many recipes on the Internet that call themselves "original" and use curd, it is definitely not. In the US, hardly anyone knows curd; instead, they use cream cheese and sour cream.

    creamy and compact cheesecake

    Ingredients

    Here's how to make the perfect American Cheesecake: All you need is butter and crackers for the super simple base. I recommend graham crackers, whole-grain cookies from the USA, which are now also available in most German supermarkets. Regular whole-grain butter cookies are also suitable for NY cheesecake.

    Check out my other similar recipes!
    • Vegan New York Cheesecake
    • American Caramel Cheesecake
    • No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake
    • Low Carb Cheesecake

    As already mentioned, the cream consists of cream cheese, sour cream, eggs, sugar, and some starch (or flour or vanilla pudding powder). You must mix the ingredients carefully, but not too much. Otherwise, the mixture may become runny or fluffy - both suboptimal. I make the New York Cheesecake in a water bath. This prevents it from collapsing or tearing after baking. In addition, you should leave the finished cake first in the closed, turned-off oven and then still in the slightly open oven. In my experience, the edge of the cake may "tip" inward slightly.

    Classic US Cheesecake

    How to make New York Cheesecake

    At first, lightly grease the bottom of a 10 in / 26 cm springform pan or cover it with baking paper. The pan should close very well. Finely grind the cookies with a kitchen chopper or food processor for the cookie crumb base. Alternatively, place the cookies in a large freezer bag and roll them over several times with a rolling pin.

    Now, melt the butter and mix well with the cookie crumbs. Spread the mixture as evenly as possible on the bottom of the springform pan and press it down with your hands, a palette, or a glass. The cake is later cooked in a water bath to not crack or become too dry. To do this, wrap the mold well with aluminum foil all around. Refrigerate the pan while preparing the cream. Preheat the oven to 320°F / 160°C.

    For the topping, beat the cream cheese with sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add sour cream, custard powder, eggs, and salt. Blend everything on low speed until creamy. Do not beat the cream too long, vigorously, or fluffy; just mix the ingredients well to a homogeneous mass. While beating, stop occasionally and scrape the cream off the side. After this, carefully pour the cream cheese mixture onto the prepared base. Place the pan on a deep baking sheet or in a large roasting pan. Place in the oven and fill the baking sheet with hot water (preferably with a measuring cup or similar) so that it is filled no more than two-thirds.

    Cook the cake very roughly for 1 ¼ hours. The top should remain light rather than browned; cover toward the end if necessary. The cheesecake mixture can and should still "jiggle"; it will firm up as it cools. After the baking time, turn off the oven. Let the cake sit in the closed oven for at least 30 minutes. Then open the oven door a crack wide, e.g. with a wooden cooking spoon, and let the cheesecake stand in again for about 30 minutes.

    Recipe Recommendation

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Our favorite cheesecake recipe: classic, easy, creamy, delicious. With my tips for the cheesecake with short pastry, the curd mass is guaranteed not to sink in after baking.

    Now, carefully remove the pan from the water bath. Make sure to chill the cake again for at least 3 hours before cutting, preferably overnight. If desired, serve with a purée of pureed and possibly lightly sugared berries. Enjoy!

    Cheesecake from the US

    Top Tip

    If you want to make American cheesecake, don't bake it too long. The cream may still wobble a little; when it cools down, it becomes firmer. This is also the most complicated step in the recipe: The waiting time is quite terrible 😉 … But anticipation is supposedly the best joy. And in the meantime, you can think about whether you want to eat the pieces pure or serve the New York Cheesecake with raspberries or strawberries.

    American Classic Cake

    Recipe Card

    The Best New York Cheesecake
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    New York Cheesecake

    The classic cheesecake from the US - wonderfully compact and creamy. The recipe is easy; you just need to allow some time.
    Prep Time35 minutes mins
    Baking Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins
    Cooling Time4 hours hrs
    Calories: 392kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 springform pan (10 in / 26 cm)

    Ingredients

    For the cookie crumb base

    • 220 grams (1 cup) wholemeal cookies
    • 100 grams (⅖ cup) butter

    For the cream

    • 1000 grams (4 ⅖ cups) cream cheese
    • 200 grams (1 cup) sour cream
    • 5 eggs, medium
    • 230 grams (1 cup) sugar, coarse
    • 30 grams (4 ⅓ tablespoons) vanilla pudding powder, or cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
    • ¼ teaspoon (⅓ teaspoon) salt

    Instructions

    • Lightly grease the bottom of a 10 in / 26 cm springform pan or cover it with baking paper. The pan should close very well. Finely grind the cookies with a kitchen chopper or food processor for the cookie crumb base. Alternatively, place the cookies in a large freezer bag and roll them over several times with a rolling pin.
    • Melt the butter and mix well with the cookie crumbs. Spread the mixture as evenly as possible on the bottom of the springform pan and press it down with your hands, a palette, or a glass.
    • The cake is later cooked in a water bath to not crack or become too dry. To do this, wrap the mold well with aluminum foil all around. Refrigerate the pan while preparing the cream. Preheat the oven to 320°F / 160°C
    • For the topping, beat the cream cheese with sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Add sour cream, custard powder, eggs, and salt. Blend everything on low speed until creamy. Do not beat the cream too long, vigorously, or fluffy; just mix the ingredients well to a homogeneous mass. While beating, stop occasionally and scrape the cream off the side.
    • Carefully pour the cream cheese mixture onto the prepared base. Place the pan on a deep baking sheet or in a large roasting pan. Place in the oven and fill the baking sheet with hot water (preferably with a measuring cup or similar) so that it is filled no more than two-thirds.
    • Cook the cake very roughly for 1 ¼ hours. The top should remain light rather than browned; cover toward the end if necessary. The cheesecake mixture can and should still "jiggle"; it will firm up as it cools.
    • After the baking time, turn off the oven. Let the cake sit in the closed oven for at least 30 minutes. Then open the oven door a crack wide, e.g. with a wooden cooking spoon, and let the cheesecake stand in again for about 30 minutes.
    • Carefully remove the pan from the water bath. Make sure to chill the cake again for at least 3 hours before cutting, preferably overnight. If desired, serve with a purée of pureed and possibly lightly sugared berries.

    Notes

    • The best and most typical cookies for the base are graham crackers, now available in many supermarkets. Alternatively, use regular (whole-wheat) butter cookies.
    • If the cookies contain a lot of butter/fat, you should use a little less butter. Therefore, it is best to start with 80 grams of butter and then possibly add some more. Depending on how sweet the cookies are, add 2 tablespoons or so of sugar to the mixture.
    • Theoretically, you can do without the water bath (see these instructions), especially if you coat the cake entirely with berry puree and possible cracks are concealed with it.

    Ingredient substitutions

    Do you want to replace some ingredients? Here you find tips for baking ingredient substitutions!

    Variations

    You can find similar recipes here: the traditional German cheesecake, the vegan alternative of the New York cheesecake, and the American caramel cheesecake. I also created a low carb cheesecake alternative as well as the simply delicious cheesecake brownies and the no-bake alternative with Oreos.

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    New York Cheesecake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 392 Calories from Fat 270
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 30g46%
    Saturated Fat 17g106%
    Trans Fat 0.2g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 2g
    Monounsaturated Fat 8g
    Cholesterol 120mg40%
    Sodium 318mg14%
    Potassium 117mg3%
    Carbohydrates 26g9%
    Fiber 0.2g1%
    Sugar 19g21%
    Protein 6g12%
    Vitamin A 1031IU21%
    Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
    Calcium 75mg8%
    Iron 1mg6%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    The famous New York cheesecake is in no way inferior to its German relative: super creamy, compact, and sinfully delicious.The famous New York cheesecake is in no way inferior to its German relative: super creamy, compact, and sinfully delicious.The famous New York cheesecake is in no way inferior to its German relative: super creamy, compact, and sinfully delicious.

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    • About Kathrin & Jan

      It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking simply makes you happy. Welcome and enjoy our blog!

      Kathrin & Jan

      Get to know us. →

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    Hi, we're Kathrin & Jan!

    It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking is what makes us happy.

    Welcome and enjoy our blog!
    Learn more about us. →

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